Web roll controlling mechanism



Aug. 19, 1941. s. c. FREEMAN 3 9 WEB ROLL-v CONTROLLING MECHANISM Filed June 11, 1938 Patented Aug. 19, 1941 WEB ROLL CONTROLLING MECHANISM Stanley 0. Freeman, Mount Vernon, N. Y., assignor to R. Hoe & Co., Inc., Bronx, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 11, 1938, Serial No. 213,146

Claims.

This invention relates to web tension controlling mechanism for use with machines operating upon a web that is drawn from a roll, and

more particularly to improvementsin web ten sion controlling mechanism adapted for use with machines for printing upon webs of various widths.

It is desirable that the tension of the web'belns drawn from a roll into a machine, such as a printing machine, be maintained substantially constant and for this purpose many mechanisms have been provided, among which is a web tensioning mechanism wherein a friction device is provided, which is adapted to be pressed against the periphery of the web roll. This friction device may be in the form of a strap, or an endless same will be simple, durable and inexpensive in construction, as well as convenient. practical, serviceable and efficient in its use. 1

- With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the

' inventionresides in the combination and arbelt, supported upon a swingable arm or arms.

As different lengths of web rolls are used, it is desirable that the strap or belt be adapted to be shifted to dispose it in position in respect to any length roll that may be used, and at either side of the machine. l

, One object of this invention is to provide an improved web tension controlling mechanism ed in the machine or.on a web roll located neareither side of-the machine. 7

Another object of this invention is to provide in a web tension controlling mechanism common means selectively operable to press a friction controlling mechanism of the above form and structure which is actuated to control the tension of a web being drawn from a roll by means of a member movable in accordance with variations in the tension of the web and which includes a friction device and means controlled by said member, and operable to move said friction device in respect to the web roll to control web tension,

and is also operable to move the friction device crosswise of the machine; I

It is also an object of this invention to pro- 'journaled in machine frames 22 and 23.

rangement of parts, andin the details of construction, hereinafter describedand claimed.

The preferred-embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side view of a web tension controlling mechanism shown associated with parts of a web printing machine;

Figure 2, is a plan view of the. same looking in direction of arrow 2 in Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is "an enlarged section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

The parts of the web printing machine to which the web tension'controlling mechanism of this invention may be applied, include a web roll support H, which may be a suitably positioned bracket, or an arm of any of the usual roll supporting reels, upon which a web roll I! is rotatably mounted in position to have its web i3 drawn therefrom. The web I3 is fed over suitable guide rollers l4, l5 and It, a roller ll disposed and carried in a, loop l8 of the web I3, guide rollers l3 and II and then into the machine. The various guide rollers extend between and are The roller ll, carried in the web loop I3 is mounted between the ends of arms 24 and 23 which are secured upon a shaft 26, also extending between the frames 22 and 23.' The shaft 23 isv biased to rotate by the weight of the roller II, but a coiled spring 21 acting on one end of the shaft. acts as a partial counterbalance and may be adjusted if desired to vary the effective weight vide a web tension controllins mechanism of generally improved construction, whereby the of the roller. A collar 23 having a short arm 29 is secured to the other end of the shaft 26 and a link 3| extends between, and is secured to the arm 28 and a control operating member 32 or an electric motor controlling device 33 containing switches 34 and 35.

The switches 34 and 35 are connected with an electric motor 36 to energize it for operation in either direction; The motor is provided with a gear reducer, and an automatic brake withinthe I motor prevents motion of its rotating portion when it is not energized. Sliding movement of the operating member 32 in either direction, will close one of the switches 34 or 33 to cause operationoi the motor 36. By this means the motor 33 is under the control of; the roller II, the

36 in the proper direction for correcting the web tension variation as will hereinafter appear. A more detailed description of the structure and the spur gear 4|. The rod also passes through the extending portions 68 of the arms 5| and 52 and cooperates with a nut-12 suitably secured in operation of the motor controlling switches by aroller disposed in a web loop may be found in Patent No. 2,155,430, granted April 25, 1939.

The motor 36 is drivingly connected to a shaft 31, extending between the frames22 and 23, in the following manner. by the motor shaft, meshes with a bevel gear 33, freely rotatable upon the shaft 31. The gear 33 is bolted to a spur gear 4|, also freely rotatable upon the shaft 31. The hub 42 of a bracket 43 is secured to the end of the shaft 31 adjacent the motor 36 by a key 44,- and is releasably connected to the gear 4| by studs 45 and46. The

studs 45 and 46 (see Figure 3) are threaded into the hub 42 and extend into openings 41 formed in the face of the gear -4|. By rotating the studs by means of a wrench applied, to a head 48 on each stud the slightly tapered end 43 thereof may be removed from its corresponding opening 41 in the gear 4| to disconnect the hub 424 from the gear' 4|. Such disconnection will also disconnect the motor 36 from the shaft 31.

A pair of arms 5| and 52 are mounted upon and carried by the shaft 31, being suitably secured thereto to rotate therewith and to slide lengthwise thereon. The arms 5| and 52 support a friction device herein shown in the form of an endless belt 53. The upper run of the belt 53 is I wrapped about and led overa pulley 54 carried by and disposed between twin brackets 55 held on arms-5| and 52, over a pulley 56 freely rotatable on the shaft 31 between the arms 5| and 52, and over a driven roller 51 extending between the frames 22, and. The lower run of the belt 53 leads fromthe roller over the web roll |2 and to the pulley 54. Swinging of the arms 5| and. 52 downward by the motor 36 rotating the shaft 31, will cause the belt 53 to press against the periphery of the roll |2. By repeated operation of the motor 35, the belt 53 will continue such pressure on the web roll as it decreases in diameter while web is being drawn therefrom.

The belt 53 is driven by the roller 51 which in turn is driven in synchronism with the machine through spur gears 53 and 59 and bevel gears 6| and 62 froma shaft 63 connected to an operating part of the machine. Preferably, the speed of the belt 53 is such as to cause a drag upon the web roll I2 when the belt is in contact therewith; A coiled spring 64 is provided to react between the frame 23 and the hub 65 of V a bracket 66 secured to the end of the shaft 31 adjacent this frame 23 to counterbalance the arms 5| and 52. To insure equal and uniform movement of the arms 5| and 52 and both brack ets 43 and 65, a bar 61 extends from one bracket to the other and passes through a portion 63 ex-- tending from each arm 5| and. 52 adjacent the shaft 31.

The means for movf-ng the friction member or belt 53 lengthwise of theshaft 31 to dispose it in its'lmost efficient position relatively to the web roll in use, includes a threaded rod 69 journaled at its ends in the brackets 43' and 56. The rod 46 passes through the bracket 43 and has a pinion 1| secured thereto in position to mesh with A bevel gear 33 rotated the arm 5| whereby rotation of the rod will move the arms 5| and 52 in unison along the tate the rod 63 through the spur gear 4| and pinion 1|, and move the arms 5| and 52 in either direction. In order that the belt 53 may follow the arms while they are being moved, it is preferable to run the machine slowly in order to rotate the roller 51.

A simple electric circuit for operating the motor 36 is shown diagrammatically in Figure '1 and consists of conductors 15 and 16 leading from the switches 34 and 35 respectively to suitable controls in a motor control box 11 to which the motor 36 is connected by conductors 18. The controls in the box 11 are connected to line wires LI and L2 by conductors19. -For actuating the controls in the box 11 to cause operation of the 1 motor 36 to move the friction member 53, push buttons 8| and 82 may be provided connected to the controls by conductors 83 and 34 respectively.

By the use of the features and principles of this invention, a friction member such as the belt 53 may be actuatedto'control the tension of- \the web running from the roll, and the friction member may be readily and rapidly moved into its most efficient operating position when changing size or position of rolls.

It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired thatthe present embodiments be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and it will be further understood that each and every novel'feature and combination present in or possessed by the mechanism herein disclosed forms apart of thednvention included in this application.

What I claim is:

1. In mechanism for controlling tension on a tending lengthwise of and over the web roll. a

friction device carried by the member for swinging movement toward the web rolland slidable onv the member, and means selectively operable to swing-and slide said friction device.

3. In webtension controlling mechanism, a web roll' engaging member movable; to increase and decrease its pressure upon the roll and slidable in a plane substantially parallel with the axis of the roll, and common means to move and'slide saidmember.

web roll engagingmember movable to increase and decrease its pressure upon the roll andslidable in a plane substantially parallel with the axis of the roll, an electric motor tomaintain the member inengagement with the web roll as web 4. In web tension controlling mechanism, a

is drawn therefrom, and means tocontrol said motor.

5. In web tension controllingmechanism, a

web roll engaging member movable to increase and decrease its pressure upon the roll and slide able in a plane substantially parallel with the axis of the roll, an electric motor to maintain the, member in engagement with the web roll as it decreases in. diameter due to web being drawn therefrom, means to control said motor to maintain the member in engagementswith the roll, and means-to actuate said motor to slide said member.

6. In web tension controlling mechanism, a

web roll engaging member movable to increase and decrease its pressure upon the roll and slidable in a plane substantially Parallel with the axis of the roll, an electric motor to maintain the member in engagement with the web roll as it decreases in diameter due to web being drawntherefrom, means controlled by the tension of the web drawn from the roll to control said motor to maintain the member, in engagement with the tatable threaded rod operably connected tosaid member to slide it, and common means to rotate said shaft and'said rod.

8. In a web tension controlling mechanism, a

friction member swin'gable into engagement with the periphery of a web roll having a web bein drawn therefrom and slidable in a plane substantially parallel with the axis ofthe roll, a

rotatable shaft supporting and operably condrawn therefrom and slidable in a plane substantially parallel with the axis of the roll, a rotatable shaft supporting and operably connected to said friction member to swing it, a rotatable threaded rod operabiy connected to said member to slide it, an electric motor forv rotating said shaft and said rod, and means responsive to the tension of the web being drawn from said roll to control said motor when it is rotating said shaft.

11. In a web tension controlling mechanism, a friction member swing'able into engagement with the periphery of a web roll having a web being drawn therefrom and slidable in a plane substantially parallel with the axis of the roll, a

rotatable shaft supporting and operably connected to said friction member to swing it, a

rotatable threaded rod operably connected to said member to slide it, an electric motor for rotating said shaft and said rod, means responsive to the tension of the web being drawn from said roll to control said motor when it is rotating said shaft, and means to disconnect said motor from said shaft whereby its operation will rotate said rod.

12. In a web tension controlling mechanism,

. an endless belt slidably supported on a rotatable shaft and swlngable, when said shaft is rotated,

nected to saidfriction member to swing it, a

rotatable, threaded rod operably connected to said member to slide it, an electric motor for rotating said shaft and said rod, and means to drivingly connect and disconnect said motor from said shaft.

9. In a web tension controlling mechanism, a friction member swingable into engagement with the periphery of a web roll having a web bein drawn therefrom and slidable in a plane substantially parallel with the axis of the roll. a rotatable shaft supporting and operably connected to said friction member to swing it, a rotatable threaded rod operably' connected to said member to slide it. an electric motor, a gear driven by said motor, a pinion gear connected to said rod and in mesh with said gear, a hub secured to said shaft, and means to connect and disconnect said hub to said 10. In a web tension controlling mechanism, a friction member swingable into engagement with the periphery of a web roll having a web being into engagement with a web roll; means to slide said belt along said shaft in a direction substantially parallel to the axisof the web roll, driven means over which said belt is wrappedtto drive said belt in any of its positions, and common means to rotate said shaft and slide said belt.

'13. In mechanism for controlling tension on a web beingv drawn from a web roll, a member having arms slidable thereon, a friction device carried by the arms and adapted to engage the web roll, a threaded rod operatively engaging said arms, and means to rotate said rod to slide the arms along said member.

14. In a device for controling tension on a web being drawn from a web roll, a member having arms slidable thereon, a friction device carried by the arms, and means forrotating the member to press the friction device against the surface of the web roll and alternatively for sliding the arms along said member.

15. In a mechanism for controlling tension on a web being drawn from a web roll and fed to a printing machine, a shaft having arms connected thereto, an endless belt supported on a plurality of spaced apart pulleys one of which is carried by. the arms and movable therewith ated means for swinging the arms toward and awayfrom the roll to vary the pressure of the belt thereon, and for'moving the arms parallel to the axis of the shaft to accommodate rolls of various lengths.

STANLEY c. FREEMAN. 

